Recruiting process doesn't take a vacation

Before ink dries, cycle begins anew with next class

Wednesday, at the stroke of midnight, the official National Signing Day was over.

For a brief moment, just a brief moment, recruiting season was over. Sadly there's no vacation from the process.

Between now and when spring football practice begins in May, the evaluation process will be well underway for the 2011 graduation class. Then there's the summer when dozens of football camps will be held to measure and improve the next set of recruits. That's when the rating of local and national players goes deep to find and rank the best player position by position.

Even though I'm not particularly fond of all the recruiting mumbo-jumbo leading up to Signing Day, it was good to see many of the top Broward players going to major colleges. Attention is well deserved. The players worked hard to get to this moment, but is it necessary for marching bands, dance teams and extended highlight reels, such as it was at Boyd Anderson High, as a precursor to signing on the dotted line?

The best part of all this it that 13 Broward High Schools had at least one player heading to a major Division I college. In all, 127 football players signed to play at the collage level. That's impressive. Certainly more will sign at a later date.

Stranahan quarterback Willie Tidal and wide receiver Menos Bouquette Jr. each signed with Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) on Thursday.

It will be difficult to evaluate which of the signees will excel at the next level. So much comes into play such as injury, playing time and academics.

Miramar's Ivan McCartney appears to have all the tools for success. ISt. Thomas Aquinas running back James White will add excitement to the Wisconsin offense. Taravella's running back Devon Wright, who was probably the toughest runner in Broward this year, should be a sure lock at Minnesota.

North Carolina coach Butch Davis had to be pleased with signing Ely's Jabari Price and Giovanni Bernard of St. Thomas. Each have the tools to provide good things for the Tar Heels. They said they will be rooming together. Though very talented, the biggest question mark is defensive back Demar Dorsey of Boyd Anderson, who is heading to Michigan.

As for the next crop of recruits, Dillard safety Wayne Lyons is already listed among the top players in the country heading into next season

In retrospect, White said he was happy the process was finally over and had advice for next year's senior class

"Do what is right a for you and don't commit early," he said. "Take your time to make sure it was the best decision."

Nothing is a sure thing because each of Wednesday's signed players need to become better than they were in high school.